March 02, 2023

By Tanu Henry and Antonio Ray Harvey

California Black Media

Rep. Barbara Lee Holds First Campaign Rally in Oakland

Last Saturday, Rep. Barbara Lee held her first U.S. Senate campaign rally at Laney College in Oakland.

“We fight for freedom, for dignity, for justice, and together, we win,” said Lee to a cheering crowd of supporters gathered at the Alameda County community college.

“That’s why I’m running for the United States Senate,” continued Lee, who is the highest ranking African American woman in the U.S. Congress and the only African American so far in the 2024 California senatorial race.

Lee, 76, is serving her 12th term in the United States Congress. Known for her progressive politics, she joins the race to replace Feinstein against two other members of California’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives: Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA-37), 49, and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA-30), 62.

Several high-profile Bay Area politicians attended the rally, including San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, the first Hmong-American mayor of a major American city.

“Black women have been at the forefront of frontlines of the fight for freedom and dignity and justice and peace for centuries. Black women get the job done,” said Lee.

The Bontas Have (Clearly) Moved On

After weeks of facing a torrent of criticisms coming from several journalists across California – including an editorial in the L.A. Times -- it seems Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Alameda) and her husband, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, have moved on.

Mrs. Bonta showed her support for Rep. Barbara Lee after the Congresswoman held the first rally of her senatorial bid on Bonta’s Alameda County home turf.

“Barbara Lee speaks for me,” said Mrs. Bonta who has been keeping herself occupied tackling other issues in her district, including the excessive use of force by law enforcement and the persistent digital divide affecting families of color.

Last week, Assembly Budget Committee chair Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) also released a statement assuring the public that Mrs. Bonta will not influence issues affecting her husband or the California Department of Justice (DOJ).

"Effective immediately in the Assembly Budget Committee, any state funding matters pertaining to the Department of Justice will be temporarily moved to and overseen by Budget Subcommittee 4,” said Ting. “DOJ's proposed allocations will go through the same vetting process that all entities funding by California's budget do, allowing for anyone to weigh in during public hearings.”

On Friday, Mr. Bonta delivered remarks at California’s commemoration of the National Day of Racial Healing.

While pushing back on the media attacks, the Bontas enjoyed support from some commentators.

“The media focus should be on covering both (Rob and Mia Bonta’s) efforts to promote public safety and make California a better place for all citizens. I urge all reporters and editors to uphold the principles of responsible journalism and prioritize the truth and accuracy of their reporting over sensationalism and clickbait. The public deserves better than to be misled by unfounded innuendo,” said Paul Cobb, publisher of the Oakland Press.  “The Black press has a responsibility to step up and do its part to foster a more informed and engaged public and not allow mainstream media and newspapers to marginalize Black leaders without pushing back, especially when their reporting shows ignorance and fails to uphold the principles of responsible journalism.”

Assemblymembers Holden and Jones Sawyer Eye Futures in Local Gov’t

As their time in the state legislature gets closer to the end due to term limits, California Legislative Black Caucus members Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) and Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) have announ­ced their future political plans.

Assemblymember Holden is entering the race for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (5th District). He’ll face Republican incumbent Kathryn Barger.

Assemblymember Jones-Sawyer is seeking to represent the 10th District on the Los Angeles City Council, hoping to replace Heather Hutt who was appointed to the seat because Mark Ridley-Thomas is under Federal indictment.

Each member elected on or after the passage of Proposition 28, in 2012, are allowed to serve a lifetime maximum of 12 years in the State Legislature, or a combination of service in the Assembly and Senate. Holden has been in office since December 2014 and Jones-Sawyer has served in the Assembly since December 2012.

Public Policy of California Releases Profile of Black Community

As Black History Month draws to a close, the Public Policy Institute of California has released a profile of Black Californians titled “California’s African American Community.”

“One in 20 Black Americans lived in California in the most recent Census count, and California’s Black population is larger than that of all but five other states (Texas, Georgia, Florida, New York, and North Carolina),” the report reads before giving an overview of the history of Blacks in California and pointing out that only 3% of California’s Black population are non-citizens and only 4% are naturalized.

According to the profile, Black Californians “lag behind other groups in college graduation, home ownership, and income.”

When it comes to political participation, Blacks engage in the electoral process at rates almost equal to their White counterparts. 

February 23, 2023

By Betti Halsell

Assistant Managing Editor

Compton-native, Kenneth Kirkpatrick, better known as “KP”—has actively worked to bring awareness to the flourishing career path of piloting commercial airplanes.

As a United Airline Captain, Kirkpatrick has used his platform to pave a runway for Black youth to take off toward new heights for success in aviation.

The number of Black pilots on duty is drastically outnumbered in comparison to other ethnicities.

A representative from United Airlines shared statistics from the United States Bureau of Labor and the results painted a vivid truth.

Only 3.4% of the nation’s pilots and flight engineers were Black and 94% were White. Kirkpatrick expressed through his discovery of this viable career—becoming a pilot was not on his radar.

He stated the most challenging part of becoming a pilot was not knowing that it was an option, “Before I got into flying, I didn’t know any pilots—I didn’t know anyone in aviation or anything like that. I actually kind of fell into it,” said Kirkpatrick. His first time on a plane was when he left for college.

In the earlier stages of planning his life, Kirkpatrick went to the air force academy to play basketball; a familiar way for most Black men to reach a level of success and status. It was until the end of his sophomore year that he took a soaring program and flying peaked his interest.

In an exclusive interview with the Los Angeles Sentinel, the United Airlines captain described the best approach to pursuing this line of work consists of persistence, networking, mentorship, and knowing one’s history.

Kirkpatrick shared his love for the storyline of the Tuskegee airmen, benchmarking the footprint of Black history during the rise of aviation. Kirkpatrick said, “I watched the original Tuskegee airmen movie…I watched that during pilot training almost every day.” 

Kirkpatrick said piloting calls for excellence and to have a love for service. He expressed the severity of handling people’s lives and taking on the responsibility of being prepared.

“The drive for excellence is important, especially when you’re operating an aircraft and we have lives in our hands.

We can’t afford to be anything less than 100% and if you’re not pushing yourself to be 100% always than you’re selling yourself short,” Kirkpatrick said.

Part of his process of preparing for a trip is “chair flying,” or visualizing the setting of flying— while on the ground, gearing up to operate the plane.

As he enters the winged vessel, he takes his time to make his piloting announcements in front of the guests, outside the cockpit. He makes comfort a priority while he is in control of the flight.

One of Kirkpatrick’s missions is to bring awareness around the resources that are available to the collective community and his efforts have been matched by the support and participation of the United Airline organization.

Additionally, Kirkpatrick sits on the board of 100 Black Men of America, the Orange County Chapter and he participates in the organization that focuses on Black aerospace professionals; a program that introduces aviation to Black youth.

Inclusion has proven to be a critical component of United Airlines; they consider more than just the trip of their guests; they are looking into ways to support the communities where their travelers live.

Kirkpatrick collaborates with United Airlines’ Aviate program, located in Arizona. It focuses on educating curious minds that have no previous aviation experience and teaches them how to fly.

Another United Airlines program includes Calibrate, a program that focuses on the maintenance and technicality of fixing planes.

Kirkpatrick shared one of his most inspiring moments was with his son, when Kirkpatrick was able to speak at the Oshkosh conference in Wisconsin; one of the biggest gatherings for aviation—with over 600,000 people in attendance.

Kirkpatrick’s son, Dylan, watched his dad speak and inspire other kids.

“He got to watch me interact with other kids, he got to watch me take part in a panel…at the end of the day, he kind of looked at me and he was like, ‘Dad, you’re a pretty cool guy,’” Kirkpatrick said.  Dylan is also in the process of being a pilot as well.

February 23, 2023

By Antonio Ray Harvey

California Black Media

On Jan. 30, the heirs of Bruce’s Beach finalized the sale of the land they just reclaimed last year back to Los Angeles County for $20 million. 

Antonio Moore, a Los Angeles attorney and co-founder of the American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS) movement, says the deal reached by the heirs of Bruce’s Beach “doesn’t seem to be at fair market value.”

In his Jan. 6 podcast, which can be viewed on Youtube, Moore said he crunched the real estate numbers of surrounding property in Manhattan Beach and claims that the land is worth more than the $20 million – the price at which the heirs of the controversial property were offered for the land.  

The attorney said the option to sell back the land, which was first purchased in 1912 and illegally acquired by the city, is akin to the financial loss Black Americans have experienced over the decades due to “housing discrimination.”

“In essence, we are going to give them back the property but not assess any of the generational costs,” he said. “And then we (the county of Los Angeles) are going to create all types of limitations on the way they can access and use that property.”

Moore continued by saying, “The fact that this was sold back for $20 million should have everyone in an uproar. The fact that the (California) Reparations Task Force has literally said nothing about this is abject failure in my view.” 

Moore said in his 37-minute podcast that no one really took the time to “contextualize” the agreement between the county and the Bruce family since the announcement was made. Houses and condos around Bruce’s Beach are priced at around “$3 or $4 million dollars,” he said. 

According to Realtor.com, Manhattan Beach in Los Angeles County consists of five neighborhoods. As of Jan. 22, there were 57 homes for sale, ranging from $1.2 million to $22 million. As of July 1, 2022, 34,668 people resided in the beach town located about 30 miles southwest of Los Angeles. Of that number, 74.8% are White and 0.5% are Black, according to U.S. Census Bureau numbers. 

“I am not here to attack this family,” Moore said of the Bruce family. “I am more so here to question how we got here.”

The Bruce Family’s attorney George C. Fatheree III told KBLA radio personality Tavis Smiley that the family was prompted to sell because it faced a long and drawn-out process to get approval for development by the city of Manhattan and the California Coastal Commission. 

“The return of the property and the ability to sell the property and take funds and invest it in a way that’s important to their lives represents an important opportunity for my clients to get a glimpse of that legacy that was theirs,” Fatheree said. 

The disturbing story of Bruce’s Beach Park -- the location of the first West Coast seaside resort for Black beachgoers and a residential enclave for a few African American families -- has received worldwide attention.

One hundred years ago, Manhattan Beach city officials seized Charles and Willa Bruce’s beachfront property through eminent domain, citing an “urgent need” to build a city park. 

The use of eminent domain was the end result of segregation, intimidation, violence and threats from the Ku Klux Klan in Manhattan Beach. The plot of land that attracted Black people from all over the country was not developed for recreational use after it was forcefully taken from the Black owners.

On April 9, 2021, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn announced the return of the land to the Bruce’s descendants. The Bruce’s purchased the real estate in 1912 for $1,225.

The transfer of ownership of the land was able to be completed with the help of legislation authored by state Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena). Senate Bill (SB) 796 exempted the Bruce’s Beach property from state zoning and development restrictions and enabled the county to return the site to its rightful owners.

On Sept. 30, 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed off on SB 796, allowing the Bruce family to retain property that has appreciated in value over the last century. 

Two options sat on the table for the heirs. LA County was in line to lease the land for $413,000 per year. It also included an exchange to buy the land for as much as $20 million. The family took the latter.

After the news of the decision to sell the land back to the county broke, social media exploded with commentaries from the Black community – for and against the sale.

Opinions on Twitter ranged from, “they got hustled,” the family “knew they’d sell back the property due to taxes,” “I wish they could have reached out to grass roots for direction and assistance,” “sad,” “unbelievable,” to “This was theirs to sell in the first place. Why are we acting like this was ours?” 

Holly J. Mitchell, L.A. County Supervisor for the 2nd District, stated in a Jan. 3 press release that she was “proud” that the county and state addressed the “systematic racist acts that have cost Black families generational wealth.”

“I fully support the self-determination of Black people and families like the Bruce’s to decide what is best for their lives and legacy,” Mitchell stated. “I will continue to advocate for the Bruce family to be fully informed and prepared for the immediate and long-term implications of this sale.”

Considering the well-documented history of racism in housing and real estate that have affected Black Californians, Bruce’s Beach draws attention to other areas in the state where discriminatory laws or practices that have caused Blacks to be illegally displaced or to lose valuable property. Many of these incidents have been highlighted by the California reparations task force.

Examples include land once owned by Black pioneers in Coloma, where the Gold Rush started in 1848; the removal of African Americans from their homes in downtown Santa Monica; and Black community loss of property in Russell City, located between Hayward and Oakland. 

“The return of Bruce’s Beach to the rightful heirs of Charles and Willa Bruce will continue to serve as an example of what is possible across the globe when you have the political will and leadership to correct the injustices of the past,” Mitchell added.